1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electrophotographic apparatus such as an electrostatic transfer type copier, a laser printer or the like, and more particularly, to a system for preventing erroneous mounting of a plurality of developing tanks accommodated in a developing device of an electrophotographic apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a developing device of a full-color copier, which is one of electrophotographic apparatus, is provided with a plurality of developer tanks accommodating respective developers in yellow, magenta, cyan and black. These developer tanks are required to be mounted in predetermined locations of the device, resulting from the construction of the copier. Accordingly, the conventional developing device is provided with a mechanism for mechanically preventing the developer tanks to be erroneously mounted in improper locations other than the predetermined locations. In this mechanism, the engagement structure of each set of the developer tanks and their respective mounting portions in the device differs from that of any other sets.
In such a conventional structure, however, since the developer tanks accommodating respective developers in yellow, magenta, cyan and black differ from one another in configuration, it is necessary to manufacture plural kinds of developer tanks for exclusive use with respect to respective colors, thus resulting in the increased number of parts, reduction in productivity followed by an increased cost.